Bed and Breakfast Accommodation – Parliamentary Written Answer

Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to his answer of 23 May 2012, Official Report, column 680W, on bed and breakfast accommodation, which 20 local authorities he wrote to raising concerns about their extended use of bed and breakfast accommodation for homeless families with children beyond the six week limit; and if he will place a copy of his letter in the Library.

Grant Shapps [holding answer 25 June 2012]: I wrote privately to 20 local authorities who between them account for almost 80% of families in bed and breakfast for more than six weeks, reiterating the Government's position that this practice is unacceptable, urging them to prioritise elimination of the use of long term bed and breakfast accommodation for families for more than six weeks, and offering support from my Department to do so.  I have placed a template of the letter in the Library of the House.